The POCUS Disinfection Course

ABOUT THE COURSE

You need to use point of care ultrasound (POCUS) to assess your patient. How do you routinely clean and disinfect your POCUS device properly between patients? What if a patients is on contact and droplet precautions?

The POCUS Disinfection Course aims to prepare healthcare providers in Alberta to reduce the risk of cross-contamination while using POCUS in the clinical setting. This online course will cover cleaning and disinfection concepts and principles as well as disinfection procedures and protocols, focused in the context of content and droplet precautions.

ATTENTION

There are local guidelines, protocols, and resources introduced in this course. They might not be applicable to clinical context outside of Calgary and Alberta.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the online modules, learners will be able to:

  • Evaluate risk according to Spaulding classification and link device use to appropriate disinfection level
  • Describe the key principles for routine device disinfection
  • Understand the process for preparing your device for deployment when contact and droplet precaution is in place
  • List the steps for cleaning and disinfecting a cart-based mobile device when contact and droplet precaution is in place
  • List the steps for cleaning and disinfecting a hand-held device when contact and droplet precaution is in place
TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE ONLINE MODULES
  • It is not recommended to access the online modules on smartphones at this point as your learning experience might be compromised.
  • There are required learning activities in the course, such as reviewing video materials, viewing and downloading PDF resources, responding to questions and responding to some course evaluation survey questions.
  • “MARK COMPLETE”: When you go through the course the first time, you will notice the “MARK COMPLETE” button in the pages. Make sure clicking on it when you reach the bottom of a page. After you complete the whole course, the “MARK COMPLETE” will not be there anymore when you revisit the content.
  • ‘RESUME LEARNING”: Please be aware that it will take you approximately one hour to complete the modules. For the convenience of self-paced learning, you may exit from the middle of the course and come back later. When you log into the e-learning portal again, click on ‘RESUME LEARNING’, and you will be redirected to where you left last time.
  • CME Certificate / Certificate of Completion for the Online Modules: Once you have completed the modules, you will find the ‘Print Your Certificate’ button available at the top of this page. You may choose to print it or download it as PDF document.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This one-credit-per-hour Self-Learning program meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by the University of Calgary Office of Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development for up to 1.0 Mainpro+ credits.

This activity is an Accredited Self-Assessment Program (Section 3) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and approved by University of Calgary Office of Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development. You may claim a maximum of 1.0 hours (credits are automatically calculated).

Material presented are in compliance with the University of Calgary Copyright Policy, Acceptable Use of Material Protected by Copyright.

Permission has been granted for presenting information created by Alberta Health Services in the modules.

Course materials are for individual use only and not to be distributed.

  • This course has received no commercial sponsorship support.
  • This course was co-developed with the Division of General Internal Medicine and was planned to achieve scientific integrity, objectivity and balance.
  • Planning committee members have no potential conflict interest related to the course program to disclose.
  • Faculty/PC disclosure
Faculty/PCCredentialsDisclosureAffiliation
Irene W.Y.MaMD, PhD, FRCPC, FACP, RDMS, RDCSTeaching and speaking honoraria: American College of Physicians, University of Alberta, Cornell University, Sonography Canada, Canadian Society of Internal Medicine, Canadian Thoracic Society, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, International Pediatric Nephrology Association, Canadian Rheumatology Ultrasound Society

Membership on advisory boards or speakers’ bureau: American College of Physicians (ACP), American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM). Governor, Alberta Chapter, ACP, 3rd Vice President AIUM – Volunteer positions, I do not receive personal payments
Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Rahim KachraMD EdM FRCPCNothing to DiscloseClinical Associate Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Bernice HeinrichsRN MN CICAHS IPC representative: CPSA IPAC Advisory CommitteeSurveillance & Standards, Infection Prevention & Control, Alberta Health Services
Douglas WoodhouseMD BScEng CCFPNothing to DiscloseMedical Director, Alberta Physician Learning Program
Utkarsh Subnis (CME Representative)PhD, MBBSHonoraria: Fresh Squeezed Ideas Inc., Digital Workplace Consultant; HAnalytics Solutions Inc, Former EmployeeEducation Consultant, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary

Irene Ma MD PhD FRCPC FACP RDMS RDCS (Co-Chair)
Rahim Kachra MD EdM FRCPC (Co-Chair)
Bernice Heinrichs RN MN CIC
Douglas Woodhouse MD BScEng CCFP
Utkarsh Subnis PhD, MBBS (CME Representative)

This program has received an educational grant from the John A. Buchanan Chair of General Internal Medicine at the University of Calgary.

We wish to thank retired planning committee member, Ms. Sandy Duckett, for her involvement in planning this course.

We wish to thank Dr. Ada Lam for her review of this course.

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